Mouth-harmonica.



Patented Oct. 28, I902.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS HOHNER, OF TROSSINGEN, GERMANY.

MOUTH-HARMONICA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,380, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed June 3, 1901. Serial No.62,982. [No mods.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HANS HOHNER, a citizen of the German Empire. residing at Trossingen, in the Kingdom of Wiirtemberg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Connected with Mouth- Harmonicas; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a mouthharmonica in which the covers are of one piece and bulged into cup form at the back side of the instrument. The covers thus act as a sound-box, which is very important in such small instruments. The opening of this sound-box can be closed more or less at convenience by the performer, the tune thereby being modulated at will.

My invention will be fully understood with reference to the accompanying one sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the instrument; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, a front view; Fig. 4, aside view; Fig. 5, an end view.

In the drawings, a is the partitioned wooden body, provided on both sides with tongueplates b. Upon the edges of the said bodyis fixed in suitable manner one large cover or sound-plate 0 instead of the ordinary covers, said cover being vaulted in cup form at the back side of the instrument, as clearly is illustrated in the drawings. The smaller opening of this cup-formed cover is closed by a plate (1, while to the larger opening a loose coverplatefmovably is applied. The said plate constantly is pressed onto the opening by means of a spring 6; but the performer can remove it from the said opening more or less by pressing upon this spring. The cover-c thus acts as a sound-box, and the tune can be modulated at convenience of the performer. It is evident that the 'platef can be replaced by any other means fulfilling the same purpose.

Having now particularly described and ascertained my invention, I declare that what I claim is 1. The combination with a mouth-harmonica, of a resonance-chamber therefor enveloping the reeds and extending for an appreciable distance beyond the base of the instrument, the said resonance-chamber being pearshaped in transverse section and conical longitudinally.

2. In the combination with a mouth-harmonica, a resonance-chamber therefor formed by a plate extending from a point above the reed-openings on one side of the instrument to a point considerably below the base thereof, swelling outwardly, thence upwardly to a point above the reed-openings on the opposite side of the instrument, thus forming a chamber pear-shaped in transverse section and larger at one end than the other, the ends closed by-suitable plates, and a valve in one of the plates.

3. In combination with a mouth-harmonica, an imperforate resouancechamber therefor enveloping the reeds and extending for an appreciable distance beyond the base of the instrument, the said resonance-chamber being pear'shaped in transverse section and conical longitudinally and larger at one end than the other, the ends closed with plates a valve in one end plate, and means for actuating said valve in one direction.

4. In combination with a mouth-harmonica a resonance-chamber therefor formed by a plate, the two edges of which are attached to the instrument above the reed-openings on each side, the plate extending downwardly and by a gradual outward swell, forming a chamber pear-shaped in transverse section and larger at one end than the other, the smaller end closed by a fixed plate and the larger end closed by a hinged plate forming a valve, and means for holding said valve normally closed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANS HOHNER.

Witnesses:

WALTER SCHWAEBSOH, H- E. REICHARDS. 

